Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1887-01-21

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rHE PERSONAL APPEARANCE or THE ECCEN-
Trio REvIvALsT AND THE SERMONS THAT
HE PREACHED LAST SUNDAY.
The noted revivalst, Rev. Samuel y.
Jones of Georgia, Familiarity called Sam
Jones' began Il series of meetings in Bos
ton last Sunday which il is understood is TO
be continued for two or more weeks. In
the forenoon he preached at the Methodist
Episcopal church on fremont street, and in
the evening at the Peoples church on Co
lumbus avenue Both services were at
tended by crowded congregations, and
many who wished to listen were unable to
get in.
The preacher, the Boston Advertiser says,
is no vulgar sensationaist, and although no
particular injustice would be- done in styl-
ing his discourses as harangues, rather than
what in this section Of the country are call
ed sermons, there is "A genial art and native
grace in his eccentricitics of diction and ut
terance that annul the condemnation of
the literary critic and compel forgiveness
for each rhetorical offence at the time it
is committed.
With enough Of heat and glow Of style III
his preaching to mark him as distinctiycly
"A Methodist. there attends the whole dis
course Il steady flowing undercurrent of
pertinent homily and homcly wisdom which
people Of all persuasions will promptly ar-
cept as part Of their doctrine also. While
he let's iy keen and we'll aimed arrows Of
criticism at the several rival sects in their
turn, he does not provoke the ire of the
wounded, since they can but notice that
the Methodists also come in for not inire-
quent castigation, 10y name, ut his hands.
spare, dark complexioned man of me
dunn height. smooth shaven except the
moustache, a little lank in visage, having a
prominent chin; brows slightly Jagged, d
nose sufficiently conspicuous as matter OF
physiognomy, not Roman or badly the re
verse large eyes, somewhat pathetic III
expression. his garh in substantial con
formity to the accepted clerical standards
he gains the favor of his audience befor,
he begins to speak and holds it through ne
dramatic arts, but rather 10y his easy, semi
conversational and fraternal manner of at
dressing them There are few slight eN
ceptiuns as to this statement about the non
dramatic in manner, the most notable, per
haps, being his frequent pauses and his NOT
nfreuuent beginning again with bcseech
ing poise of the right arm and hand, an ap
pealmg glance and the words Brother,
Sister" This is very taking although th
/ listener may be brother or sister of quit
"A different persuasion or none at all
The subject of the morning discourse wa
/ Longing for Christ This feeling of tn
heart or attitude of the soul he describe
as the essential thing, the height Of Chris
tian attainment in religion.
In the evening the preachers theme va
The Devout Man. the scriptural exampl
Of which he found in that passage of tn
book of Acts which describes Cornelius TIA
centurion. "One that feared God with a
his house which gave much aim, 10 tn
people and prayed 10 God always Bcfor
proceeding TO open up his theme lac sal
bluntly:
81 want to say at this point, at this fir,
service, at any moment that YOU becnm
tired or uninterested in what Is going u
YOU may consider the benedictlon pronoun,
ed as far as YOU are concerned and you ma
20 home don't think We would hay
missed YOU if You hadn't come at all Il
night and you may consider yourself OF $
little importance that you won't be mlS,e
if YOU get enough and leave before the bcI
ediction is pronounced | want you I
come when you please, stay H. long H. yu
please, and go away when YOU please.
shall preach under God, a long ms | pleas
and uuit when please. know from pra'
teal experience that 1t is mighty har
matter to talk sense for half an hour an
not have some Ounce in the audience. No
let us be- prayerful, | don't say let US he So
emn | don't think that is essential To wo
ship at all. My conception Of the house 4
God and the worship of God IN that hou'
is very different from some peoples opn
ions. If | have paid all my just debts an
treated all men squarely, | will wear
smile tonight. as heaven is my Father
house. But if have wronged the wido
and lived dishonesty, ! am going 10 loo
solemn. | don't say feel solemn or loo
solemn, but let Us be earnest, let us
prayerful
Taking up the subject matter of the te'
Mr.. Jones said
The first century of the Christian eT
produced some of the most remarkah
characters of the worlds history, and col
spicuous among them was the centurion
whom the text speaks. Aud after al
brethren character outranks everything
Reputation is like glove. may put 1t {
or off at pleasure. | may rend 1t OF thro
il AWAY | have lost but little But cha
acter is the hand itself, and when once it
Scared it is Scared forever Character
that part of me which shall live beyond Il
stars, Character is that immortal part
YOU, brother, which shall make you IA fit ass
ciate for God and angels, or shall make Y,
a fit associate for the wicked and damne
- When "A man has got more religion than
has sense. call him fool when he h
got more sense than he has religion he is
able to be rascal What is wanted is
eauipoise between sense and religion I'll
win make level headed Christian. ha
, been called crank, an enthusiast and (
matte | am willing they shall pile on &
1 epithets If to believe all that is contaln
in the Bible from lid to lid il true, is 10
a crank enthusiast or fanatic, | shall gla
w wear these epithets of derisinn and SIN
cast them at my Saviour's feet as proofs
my fidelity.
stand here tonight stranger, but
will say this much | stand ON the ten con
mandments and the sermon ON the mouI
Every man. woman and child in this 81
who does that is going to agree with m
and tell every Christian in this city that
am going to say all | can in favor Of tho
i two things, and not Il word against thel
If there is anything | despise it is "A d
I time. like to see things move up. No
/ it is said of Cornelius that, He feared q
with all his house" You See as soon rs
4 man becomes thoroughly saturated wi
God it begins to take hold of his fam
And let me say, first | gave myself To &c
! after which was in position to do son
I thing for and with my family, No moth
can give her children ~ God until she fiji
gives herself to God 1t isn't pushing /
family into the kingdom of heaven, /
taking them by the hand and leading the
there.
They accuse me of being an evangeli
J am no evangelist, but have been engf
ed in evangelistic work and | want to $
r that revivals are not the best things in
> world They are necessary, but 1t In 4
state of things that make them 80. Tn,
is many a good old man and woman Il
thinks the preacher ought to keep the thi
!. warm all the time and run u sort of pert
q mai revival. God pity the people that v
ii pack the minister in an ice box, and I'll
~ curse him because he don sweat !
~ power of the pulpit IL with the pews, "A